American Freedom Train
Every so often I re-watch the speech that President-elect Obama gave on the night of November 4, 2008. I do this to be reminded of what this country is capable of. As I listen to his words, as relevant now as they were then, I remember that this country can elect a progressive, smart, compassionate, fearless, and community-minded leader to the highest office. As Barack Obama spoke to a crowd of 240,000 people in Chicago’s Hyde Park that night, I remember what it feels like to be inspired by a great orator’s words, by the ideals of justice and equality and liberty for all, by the possibility of a more perfect union. When I listen to the YouTube clip, which others have also been watching and commenting on as recently as a few months ago, I am reminded of all this country has achieved, as well as all that it has always aspired to be. The faces in the crowd that night, many tear-stained, all smiling, reflected the diversity, strength, and promise of this nation.
My now wife and I were with friends that night in 2008 and I well remember the strong wave of relief I felt when the clocks on the West Coast struck 8 p.m. Immediately, Washington, Oregon, and California, all turned blue on the country’s television map, and the news announcer declared: “Barack Obama will be the forty-fourth president of the United States.” Tears, hugs, jubilation. Then we all listened to his amazing speech, which began:
“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is still a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is still alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”
Now, almost 18 years later, the country is today marking its Semiquincentennial, or 250th, anniversary. Some are calling it a celebration, others are looking for something to celebrate. At a time when many of us feel disheartened to now have someone in the presidency who is the complete antithesis of Obama in every way and personifies nothing beyond his own megalomania, it seems natural, if one was alive 50 years ago, to reflect on the 200th Bicentennial celebration. I was ten years old then and the two things I remember of that time were 1) seeing the American Freedom Train at Fort Lewis, Washington, now Joint Base Lewis-McCord, with my parents in November 1975; and 2) a big neighborhood cul-de-sac party on July 4, 1976.
Photo: The B & O Railroad Museum
The American Freedom Train, https://freedomtrain.org/american-freedom-train-home.htm, was a restored 26-car train that traveled the United States from April 1, 1975, to December 31, 1976. The steam-powered train included ten cars that visitors could walk through and, according to the above website, “were filled with over 500 precious treasures of Americana. Included in these diverse artifacts were George Washington's copy of the Constitution, the original Louisiana Purchase, Judy Garland's dress from The Wizard of OZ, Joe Frazier's boxing trunks, Martin Luther King's pulpit and robes, and even a rock from the moon.” I don’t remember much about seeing such objects, but I do remember carrying my stuffed cat Twinkle through the train and buying a souvenir spoon for my growing collection of these utensils. Many decades ago, in an effort to declutter, I gave away all the spoons except for the one from the American Freedom Train. I still have Twinkle too.
The train represented the only nationwide celebration of the Bicentennial and the website describes 7 million people visiting the train during its stops in all 48 contiguous states. Many more stood on the tracks and watched the cars go by.
Memory feels like a complicated thing to me. At ten years old, I had a long way to go to understanding the very complex nature of this country’s history (and I am still learning). The Bicentennial from this distance can seem like a more cohesive celebration, coming at a time when the United States seemed more unified, at least for some of us, and the event more joyous, glorious. By contrast, today, many people I know are embarrassed for our country’s choices, are sitting out the festivities, or are continuing to protest the fascist regime we have currently and a president who does not reflect any of the values laid forth in the Constitution. Yet, while this day comes at a dark time for our democracy, perhaps this is also a more truthful look at where we are as a country. The nation elected the current president twice; it also elected Obama twice. A speech was given yesterday calling progressives who care about people and community “communists.” A speech by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani just a few hours earlier spoke to the strength of a country founded and sustained by immigrants.
The dueling visions of this country can make a person feel like she’s living in two realities. In the end only one vision can triumph because only one is just. The founders had the basics right, but 250 years later, the United States is still trying to live up to them. Along with nostalgically looking at President Obama’s 2008 victory speech, I am also reading A Promised Land, his 2020 memoir that he wrote to share what it was like during his eight years in office. It is a riveting read with many passages worthy of note, written by both someone who at once seems like a regular guy as well as the most transformative person I’ve witnessed in my lifetime. At one point, when Obama is thinking of running for president and is discussing the possibility with his team and his wife, Michelle asks him, “Why do you need to be president?”
He thinks about this question, gives a few general answers about sparking “a new kind of politics,” or “getting a new generation to participate,” and then adds:
“I know that the day I raise my right hand and take the oath to be president of the United States, the world will start looking at America differently. I know that kids all around this country—Black kids, Hispanic kids, kids who don’t fit in—they’ll see themselves differently, too, their horizons lifted, their possibilities expanded. And that alone…that would be worth it.”
Happy Birthday, America.